MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Up 16,091 this week

Three Strangers (1946)

6.9
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.9/10 from 712 users  
Reviews: 28 user | 10 critic

Three strangers, each with a serious problem in their lives, share a sweepstakes ticket which they wished upon together before a Chinese idol.

Director:

Writers:

(original screenplay), (original screenplay)
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 161 titles created 07 Feb 2012
 
a list of 41 titles created 1 month ago
 
a list of 1081 titles created 02 Feb 2012
 
a list of 46 titles created 1 month ago
 
a list of 124 titles created 4 weeks ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Three Strangers (1946)

Three Strangers (1946) on IMDb 6.9/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Three Strangers.
Edit

Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
Jerome K. Arbutny
...
Crystal Shackleford
...
Johnny West
Joan Lorring ...
Icey Crane
Robert Shayne ...
Bertram Fallon
Marjorie Riordan ...
Janet Elliott
Arthur Shields ...
Prosecutor
Rosalind Ivan ...
Lady Rhea Beladon
John Alvin ...
Junior Clerk
Peter Whitney ...
Timothy Delaney aka Gabby
...
David Shackleford
Clifford Brooke ...
Senior Clerk
Doris Lloyd ...
Mrs. Proctor
Edit

Storyline

According to a legend, if three strangers gather before an idol of Kwan Yin (the Chinese goddess of fortune and destiny) on the night of the Chinese New Year and make a common wish, Kwan Yin will open her eyes and her heart and grant the wish. In London 1938 on the Chinese New Year, Crystal Shackleford has such an idol and decides to put the legend to the test. She picks two random strangers off the street, and puts the proposition to them. They decide that an ideal wish would be for a sweepstakes ticket they buy equal shares in to be a winner. After all, everyone needs money and a pot is very easy to divide equally, right? Written by Ken Yousten <kyousten@bev.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

BREATHTAKING SUSPENSE - THRILLS! (original ad - all caps)

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

28 January 1946 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

3 Desconhecidos  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alfred Hitchcock showed early interest in directing. See more »

Quotes

Johnny West: The best friendships are made on short acquaintance and last a very brief time.
See more »

Soundtracks

"Waltz in A Flat Major, Op. 39"
(uncredited
Music by Johannes Brahms
Played on the piano by Johnny
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

A clone that goes one better
2 June 2000 | by (USA) – See all my reviews

Obviously meant as a "Maltese Falcon" ripoff, this is in many ways a much better film, and definitely one of Huston's best. Though set in 1938, it has a strongly pessimistic, existentialist post-WWII feel to it. The three strangers seem to symbolize the forces of greed, cruelty, and self-destruction at the heart of war and human misery in general--and note that in this version there is no Sam Spade to intervene when things go horribly wrong. The hero of the story by default is the romantic alcoholic Johnny West (a tour de force by Peter Lorre in one of the few true lead roles allowed him by the vindictive Jack Warner.) Not that he's morally superior to the vicious Crystal Shackleford or the crass Arbutney, just that he's too apathetic and detached to intentionally harm anyone.


13 of 19 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
URGENT: It's on TCM on 3.11.08 at 11:00AM!!!! john_arbolino
finding copy of three strangers jvhart
'A good night of drinking....' captgwg
Need for DVD! AFernandez58
Janet... Tim-O-T
huston loved those statuettes howlinkingcrawdad
Discuss Three Strangers (1946) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?